Cheers!!!!!

I never felt very sentimental about much in my life. Now as I age I have grown more sentimental about my family and especially my children. This has been an interesting year yet I can't say it was bad nor can I say it was good. It just was!!!

Reflecting back on the year for me is not going to be easy, yet I think I need to do this because it will help me move on the 2012 if I put it down on paper.

Not much happened in the winter that I can remember except we had way too many snow days and it was a difficult beginning to the semester. I started going to the Y 5 days a week to help my hip and hopefully lose weight (I lost and gained 15 pounds a number of times in 2011). My relationship with my children was about the same. I had been struggling with some issues with my daughter and was hoping that they would be resolved by then but they werent. As a matter of fact, I think just this month, I am hopeful that we can have a better mother daughter relationship.

In May of 2011, my daughter graduated Wake Forest, my son and his fiance' came for a visit, we met her family, both my children and their dad had birthdays. In June, my boyfriend and I broke up and he started working in China. We started talking again via Skype.

I didn't get to travel this past summer and realized that I hate being in Wilkes County all summer long, so I am bound and determined to travel/live somewhere summers as long as I continue to work here. I did go to Maine with my old friend Denise for less then a week in July. Then back here for the summer. The school semester started hard with me having to teach not only my classes but my colleagues for the first two weeks of classes. August also brought my daughter moving to NYC for Grad School.

In September, my pap smear came back showing something and I went for some testing to see exactly what it is. The testing was hard on me and hurt a lot and then thru my hip out for which it still hasn't recovered. For the month of October, I worked part time so I could work on getting my hip better ( I literally couldn't walk without holding on to the wall for two weeks) and to be able to walk again without too much pain. The gyno wants me to have surgery to remove a fibroid. I can't do it just yet till my hip gets better.

In late October (I think), my son and his gf decided it was time to get married. They planned to have it in Dec. in California where she is from. This speeded up my will to get better and walk without a limp so no one would know how much pain I was really in. I started physical therapy in October, with that goal in mind. Physical therapy with my insurance coverage still cost me $53 each time I went and I went twice a week. Chaaaa-ching!!!

The wedding plans were coming together thanks to Monica and her sisters in November. Eric and Monica got married in Japan on 11/11/11. What a special day that is! They were also going to get married in the States in Dec. I was walking better in November but not consistently. Some days I would need some help and some days not. Finally, towards the end of November, I felt like I was able to hide my limp and pain enough to go to the wedding.

December comes: end of semester stuff for all three Firestone's. I was anxious to see my daughter who I hadn't seen since August was coming home, my exchange student was coming to visit and we were all flying to CA for the wedding. I am not going to go into the issues between my daughter and I but I thought they were on the mend, then one thing happened, and I feel it put a cabash on all the progress we made. I still don't know but I am much more hopeful that in 2012, things will heal. My China friend came back to the States for two weeks, while I was in CA. I didn't see him. What's to become of this relationship??? I question: is it a relationship? I can't retire for another few years, he needs to work in China for another year.

So moving on to 2012, what do I want to happen? Here is my list (not in any particular order):

1. Lose weight
2. Heal relationships in my family
3. Get out of debt
4. Work on good friendships
5. Walk without pain/heal my hip.
6. Simplify my life
7. Reduce stress
8. Think about long distance love relationships

And now for my bucket list:

1. Salmon fishing in Alaska
2. Visit Belfast
3. Retire
4. Travel in retirement


Wow, this sure seems like a sentimental post! Happy New Year and here's wishing that all we accomplish all our wants, wishes and desires. Cheers!